Our Pune Experience

While we've been here, my secretary returned from a trip to India. In an e-mail, she commented that "India touches all of the senses." We're certainly finding this to be true, in many different ways. Mostly, it's touching our hearts as we are enjoying getting to know Leena. For obvious reasons, Pune will always hold a part of our heart.

Nevertheless, there are many aspects of Pune that are in serious need of reform/repair. When we wake in the morning, we're immediately confronted with the a heavy smell of smoke from fires burning. Each morning, the residents start fires along the street to burn the dried leaves and trash. The outside is blanketed with a thick layer of smoke/smog. The sun rises as an orange/rust colored globe through the smoke/smog. After only two days, our eyes and lungs burn from it.

Both mornings, as I walked down the lane where we're staying, there were locals out sweeping the street in front of their properties with brooms made from sticks bound together. However, they only sweep the loose dirt and pebbles away, but litter and trash are everywhere. There are many villages of shanties made only from tarps and bamboo, and shacks made from bamboo and tin. Electric wires are draped across the roofs of homes and buildings. We have to work to look past the filth and dilapidation, to recognize what a wonderful place Pune is. It's the education center of the country, with many universities. The people are happy and seem congenial and eager to assist.

We’ve had another great day here. Leena is doing wonderful. She was understandably disoriented when she woke up this morning, but quickly settled and began interracting with us. She has really attached to Heather. When we are in the hotel room, Leena will not leave Heather’s side, and cries when Heather goes in the bathroom. She has become increasingly comfortable with us throughout the day, and her personality is really starting to show. She has started to babble and smile and laugh with us, and especially likes to play with Nate. Before we met Leena, Mina told us that she has an "infectious smile," and we've found this to be true.

We're not yet sure if this is a problem, but Leena thinks it’s funny when we say “no.” Whenever we tell her “no” she just laughs and tries to do it anyway. Apparently, she has more in common with her siblings than we realized. Maybe we will have to learn how to say "no" in Marathe.

This morning we went for breakfast at the courtyard of our hotel. The hotel staff is eager to assist any way possible. Since we didn’t have anything on our schedule until 2:00, we asked one of the staff about things to see in Pune. We happened to mention that Nate wants to see a monkey. A few minutes later, we were in the office of Joe, the Director of the hotel. It happens that he is also a “Snake Capturer” on the side. He arranged for a car and took us to a snake preserve across town, where he is one of the directors. Joe gave us a personal tour and told us about each of the snakes, as well as much of his life’s story. It was great fun and interesting. While we were there, another Snake Capturer brought a king cobra that he had just captured, and another non-venomous snake. We watched as they released the cobra into a pit. He pestered it with his stick to get it to flare out. Then they brought the other snake over and let Leena handle it. She was quite intrigued with it.

After we returned from our morning excursion, it was time to go to see the judge. The judge that approved our adoption requires that BSSK bring us by so that she can meet us. We went to the courthouse across town in two rickshaws. We waited about an hour to appear before the judge. She asked how long we have had the baby, how things were going, how old Nate is, how he feels about the adoption and whether he would assist with Leena’s care. With associated travel and waiting, it took most of the afternoon, but the hearing lasted only a few minutes.

When we arrived home, we discovered a Pizza Hut around the corner from our hotel. We walked across and had dinner, and came back to the room. Tomorrow morning we fly to New Delhi at 6:15. We will spend much of the day doing paperwork, the medical exam and possibly the interview for Leena's visa. We may complete our work, or may have to come back Friday, depending upon how things progress. We miss Eliza, Cole and Dalton immensely. We are anxious to hear how you're doing and about your trip. We can't wait for all of you to meet Leena.